Issue #13 of The Massive begins a new story arc as Captain Callum Israel begins a revived quest to effect change sine the Crash and fans of the Massive benefit greatly with this new story.

Official description from DARK HORSE:

With The Massive’s trail gone dead, the Kapital is forced to respond to a different crisis, one very close to home. Navigating the thawed Canadian polar ice into the turbulent northern Atlantic, the crew arrives at the most infamous post-Crash disaster zone: New York City.

Writer Brian Wood steers the crew of the Kapital toward a new goal after the last story arc nearly decimated the group and nearly destroyed Captain Israel. They have moved on from chasing the Massive and move toward a nearly fully submerged New York to chasing a rogue crew member who has stolen a nuclear submarine with the intend to completely sink the Big Apple. Wood writes a refreshing take on the Kapital’s mission by injecting an immediate threat rather than strictly surviving the global meltdown. He also gives us a look at the United States and brings the ecological crisis to the major cities and costal regions. It’s strikes a little more close to home and a nice touch to draw the reader in more intimately.

This also brings the crew closer together as they seek out this immediate and dangerous rouge and refocuses the crew on this task and the reinvigorates the overall mission of the Ninth Wave. It’s a very smart move by Wood on how to bring a crumbling team back together and as solid as ever. Not only does is the crew revived but a new fire grows within Captain Israel. The pace, action and life has been brought up to full speed. By the end of the book a new threat has a bull’s-eye on the Kapital and it will either bond the team even more or be the final crushing blow to this haggard and desperate crew.

Wood has done a excellent job changing course from chasing ghosts to chasing death but still maintaining the consistent drive and fight of Callum and his group on the Kapital. Artist Garry Brown’s work is a bit more clean and precise but also maintains the tone we have come to love about the Massive. The muted tones of Jordie Bellaire gives the feeling of cold isolation but also sharply defines the time jumps and flashbacks that weave throughout the story. The Massive continues to be a stellar piece of work and this new three-part series promises to be as exciting as it is thought provoking.

4.5/5